SEVENTY-NINE

After all that had happened, the last thing I wanted to do was go back to school, but that was the first thing Rose wanted me to do.

After my thirteen hour stalling, she finally had it and literally walked me back to campus.

I was bored, even though what I had previously learned was beginning to erode away, I felt a great reluctance to relearn it, that's a word, right?

Luis also looked at his phone for several seconds, then Lucy came up to ask the problem.

He looked at her then said,"When I told you I would never truly be able to leave my past life behind, you told me to then use my skills for the greater good, so I joined a law enforcement agency, or at least, applied...now, I'm not so sure."

"What? Why?"She asked.

"With my criminal records and good ties with those very people in the past, not to mention everything that just happened, I'm not sure I will be accepted...or want to be accepted."

She sat beside him then placed her hand on his and said,"Our daughters need you, our son needs you, someone to look up to and be proud of, a father, but if you continued killing people for fun, they wouldn't love you, they'd fear you, is that what you want?"

He looked at her then interlocked his fingers with hers and said,"No, it's not..."

She kissed him on the cheek then said,"I love you, we all do, don't be so hard on yourself."

She got up and left, then he looked back at the acceptance notice and the conditions it stated, then sighed...he was going to have to keep it a secret, doable, but also lay down his guns for the longest time he had in thirteen years, for a year and a half...

***

Rose sat with Ruby in a room, alone and slowly caressed her back in a hug.

The sisters looked at each other, then Ruby's tear filled eyes began to leak as she spoke of her fear for her son, but Rose assured her that no harm will befall the child.

A window clicked and they both looked on high alert and saw a kind of voodoo doll which freaked Ruby out.

Rose approached with caution, murmuring to herself as she got closer to it, then touched it and it burst with sparks flying.

Suddenly, a strong wind kicked up as a loud laughing echoed all around the room.

Ruby was terrified, but Rose stood, unmoved, then spoke,"If this is the best you can do, then you better give up, because I'm not scared of you, not anymore."

"My little daughter is all grown up, I see..."A voice said.

Rose frowned, then said,"I'm not your daughter."

A booming laughter was heard and Rose hugged her petrified sister as the voice continued,"Then who could your father be?"

"God is my father."

There was a silence, before a low pitched chuckling, then he spoke again,"So you think after all that you've done, God still cares about you? Face it, you can't escape your destiny, you are my daughter."

Rose's heart rate was increasing and she felt herself slightly shivering, till something came to mind, then she spoke,"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe and the evil one cannot harm him, whichever demon you are, just know that you can never harm someone born of God!"

That was the last thing Ruby heard, before she blacked out...

Lucy almost knocked down the locked door when she found Rose carrying her sister out of the room between her arms, then ran to her aid.

Rose said she'd be fine and took her to another room, Lucy asked what happened and Rose said everything.

"Wait, so you banished him in the name of... Jesus?"

"Why does that seem so surprising to you?"

"I don't know it's just, I never knew you were that religious, judging by the fact that you caused a man to freeze to death under a river just the other day."

Rose smiled slightly then said,"That was the old me."

"So, let me get this straight...you are giving up everything you've learned?"

"Whatever was to my profit I now consider as loss for the sake of Christ."She simply said.

"So, no more Kung Fu?"

"Well, physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come, I may never forget what I've learned, but thanks to God I was one of the chosen few considered wise, nevertheless, I will be a fool if I were to boast in any of my former achievements."

Lucy blinked twice, and said an awkward okay, before leaving, then Rose sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought.

Mack called home then said,"Hi babe, I called to remind you of the private hotel room you promised to book just for the two of us, cause I've got a lot to do with you, tsk, a lot..."

"Mack, it's me."Luis said with his eyes half closed.

There was a loud cuss, before a loud thumping sound, scratching, before Mack asked,"What the heck are you doing with Ruby's phone? Where is she?"

"She's taking a nap, and have you gotten the glowing sea water for the herbal tea yet?"

"Well, actually no...it seems like this isn't the season for the ocean to glow blue."

"Huh, I knew that you couldn't do it, yet Ruby, for some reason believed in you, you can come back, we'll find some other remedy."

"What?! No! I'll, I'll find some, some place, just tell her to wait for me...and erm, keep the whole hotel thing between you and me, okay?"

"I wouldn't tell a soul."Luis said.

"Thanks."

"Amateur..."

Lucille lay on her parents, her eyes closed, but her mind fully awake, she had been this way for several minutes, but even Luis didn't dare complain, not after all she'd been through.

A voice then said,"You don't have to stay here, you know."

They looked down at Lucille, who took in a breath then said,"The triplets and the baby need you, probably more than I do, you can go."

Luis looked at Lucy, who said,"Sweetie, we aren't leaving you, not like this."

"Why, mom? Why don't you just give him what he wants and end all the pain? If you just gave up, he wouldn't hurt any of you and at least, my death will be for something worthwhile."

"Lucille!"Lucy yelled.

Luis placed a hand on her shoulder then told her to go, after a few seconds, she reluctantly did, and left Luis and his stepdaughter.

He kept caressing her long hair, while humming a song, then began to sing.

Lucille looked at him from the corner of her eyes and said,"If you're going to keep singing like that, then I'm just going to kill myself."

"Aww, I thought you wanted your dad to kill you."

"What?"

"Well, you just said you wanted your death to be worthwhile, so just stay a little bit, in the dark, alone, I'm sure he'll come and get you."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to tell you that we are never going to let him or anyone harm either you or your siblings, you are far too precious to us."

"Is your training getting rusty, or are you just that bad a liar?"

"It might be either, or the truth, good night."

He walked away, till she called him back.

At the door, he looked at her as she asked if he could stay, then he said,"No."

Then began walking out when she flung a throw pillow at him.

He caught it and charged at her and there was a cacophony of mild thumping sounds, amidst laughter and the flailing of kapok and feathers.